Theodor Franz Eduard Kaluza was born on November 9, 1885. In Opole Poland. Theodor spent most of his youth in Konigsberg where he later attended Konigsberg University to study mathematics. Although Kaluza was a mathematician, he eventually found himself interested in the study of relativity. Kaluza wrote to Einstein in 1919 saying he has solved Einstien's theory of general relativity and Maxwell's theory of light, using his five dimensions. This later became what is known as the Kaluza-Klein Theory. The ground breaking accomplishment of this theory, is now physists now had a unified field theory.[1] This eventually lead to what is now known as modern day string theory, which in physics, is the theory in which physisist believe that everything is made up of a series of dimensions, or strings which are acted upon by a series of ultrasonic vibrations.
Insights and Influencies
Growing up, Theodor Kaluza was inspired to learn, due to his dad being a scholar on the Chaucer Theory. Kaluza maintained adequate grades in school, and eventually attended college at the University of Königsberg to study mathematics. Kaluza Attended Königsberg until he obtained his doctorate. During his time at the university Kaluza wrote a habilitation thesis over the topic of Teshimhaus transformations, which was soon published into the "Archiv der Mathematik und Physik" in the year 1910. Kaluza was said to have a very unique personal live, it is said he thought himself to swim by reading a book in his thirties, they also say he accomplished this feat on the first try. Kaluza married in 1909 and had a son the very next year, his name was also Theodor Kaluza and grow up to follow is dads mathematical foot steps. One other weird fact about Kaluza is out of the 17 languages he knows how to speak or write, his favorite was Arabic. Kaluza was given a job as Privatdozent, a low paying professor job. Although most Privatdozents get promoted without delay, Kaluza spent 20 years as a Privatdozent. In this time period Albert Einstein found much interest in Kaluza, In 1919 Kaluza introduced a theory he had been working on that would involve combining Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, and Maxwell’s theory of Electromagnetism, Einstein wrote to Kaluza telling him to publish this revolutionary idea, which Kaluza finally accomplished in 1921 in his paper on the unity problem of physics.
Major Contributions
Kaluzas major contribution to science was for his attempt at uniting Einstein’s theory of general relativity and Maxwell’s theory of Electromagnetism, in to one "unified field theory" which at the time many scientist strived to discover. Although it seemed like most scientists had given up on a unified field theory, Kaluza's theory involved using one of our four space dimensions and the dimension of time and combining them together into a space-time 5 dimensional cylindrical worlds. This theory of unification of fundamental forces through dimensions later becomes used in modern string theory. In theoretical physics the most renowned theory is that of Einstein’s general relativity which is Einstein’s field theory for gravity. Currently theoretical physics has no theory on quantum gravitation although many have made valiant efforts in this field. The idea of kaluzas theory was that if you extend general relative through out a 5 dimensional space and time, you can in turn seperate the equations into four dimensional gravitation with an extra set. This being equal to that of Maxwell’s equation for the electro magnetic field leaving an extra scaler field known as the dilaton. Kaluzas theory showed promiss but it wasnt until 1926 when a man by the name of Oscar Klein reformed Kaluza's theory into what is now offically known as the Kaluza-Klein theory, or KK theory. Klein simply stated that in Kaluza's theory, the fourth dimension was in fact a circle in which a particle moving a short distance would end up back at its starting location, and how long it takes for a full partical rotation determines the size of that dimension.
Affect and Effect
A scientist that greatly affected Kaluzas life was Albert Einstein. From 1902 to 1929 Kalzua maintained a job as a Privatodzent (which is an extremely underpaid teaching assistant) When he was finally appointed with a professorship at the University of Kiel in physics under Einsteins reccomendation, and later in 1939 the University of Göttingen. It was Einstein who Kaluza first showed his unification theory too, and after 2 years of perserverience Einstien finally agreed to publish Kaluza's theory. Kaluza's theory was accepted as the new unification theory for a breif period of time until a physist of Oskar Klien added his own fifth dimenosal ideas to the equation. The idea Kaluza and Klien had concieved was that the fifth dimension was made up of electromagnetic waves[7] , these waves were seen as vibrations in the fifth dimension which are circular in shape. The fifth dimension however can not be seen, but can be measured, Klien believed that the time it took a particle to travle around the circumfrence of a circle in the fifth dimension will tell you the size of the dimension. Although this theory was thought up in the early 1920's it is still conciderd to be the beggining of modern day string theory. In 1998 two men Overduin, and Wesson found that if your take Kaluzas cylendrical idea from his theory, that you can still solve the "Space-Time-Matter Continum." [8]
Legacy
The legacy left behind of Theodor Kaluza is one that has greatly influenced the world of physics, It was Kaluza who made the first real step towards a single unification theory. Kaluza went above and beyond what people saw and used the fifth dimension as a tool to extend the equations of relativity and light. But shortly after Kaluza published his findings, Oskar Klien improved on Kaluzas theory, using his own thoughts and ideals, one being his idea, that the time it takes a particle to make a full rotation around a ring of the fifth dimension, will give you the size of the dimension. Although this theory was founded so long ago it was used for modern implementation and was the beginning of string theory as we know it. The kaluza-klien theory was improved on a third time by Overduin, and Wesson, in 1998 where we still use it now to solve the "Space-Time-Matter Continum"
Theodor Franz Eduard Kaluza
Table of Contents
Theodor Franz Eduard Kaluza was born on November 9, 1885. In Opole Poland. Theodor spent most of his youth in Konigsberg where he later attended Konigsberg University to study mathematics. Although Kaluza was a mathematician, he eventually found himself interested in the study of relativity. Kaluza wrote to Einstein in 1919 saying he has solved Einstien's theory of general relativity and Maxwell's theory of light, using his five dimensions. This later became what is known as the Kaluza-Klein Theory. The ground breaking accomplishment of this theory, is now physists now had a unified field theory.[1] This eventually lead to what is now known as modern day string theory, which in physics, is the theory in which physisist believe that everything is made up of a series of dimensions, or strings which are acted upon by a series of ultrasonic vibrations.
Insights and Influencies
Major Contributions
Kaluzas major contribution to science was for his attempt at uniting Einstein’s theory of general relativity and Maxwell’s theory of Electromagnetism, in to one "unified field theory" which at the time many scientist strived to discover. Although it seemed like most scientists had given up on
Affect and Effect
A scientist that greatly affected Kaluzas life was Albert Einstein. From 1902 to 1929 Kalzua maintained a job as a Privatodzent (which is an extremely underpaid teaching assistant) When he was finally appointed with a professorship at the University of Kiel in physics under Einsteins reccomendation, and later in 1939 the University of Göttingen. It was Einstein who Kaluza first showed his unification theory too, and after 2 years of perserverience Einstien finally agreed to publish Kaluza's theory. Kaluza's theory was accepted as the new unification theory for a breif period of time until a physist of Oskar Klien added his own fifth dimenosal ideas to the equation. The idea Kaluza and Klien had concieved was that the fifth dimension was made up of electromagnetic waves[7] , these waves were seen as vibrations in the fifth dimension which are circular in shape. The fifth dimension however can not be seen, but can be measured, Klien believed that the time it took a particle to travle around the circumfrence of a circle in the fifth dimension will tell you the size of the dimension. Although this theory was thought up in the early 1920's it is still conciderd to be the beggining of modern day string theory. In 1998 two men Overduin, and Wesson found that if your take Kaluzas cylendrical idea from his theory, that you can still solve the "Space-Time-Matter Continum." [8]
Legacy
The legacy left behind of Theodor Kaluza is one that has greatly influenced the world of physics, It was Kaluza who made the first real step towards a single unification theory. Kaluza went above and beyond what people saw and used the fifth dimension as a tool to extend the equations of relativity and light. But shortly after Kaluza published his findings, Oskar Klien improved on Kaluzas theory, using his own thoughts and ideals, one being his idea, that the time it takes a particle to make a full rotation around a ring of the fifth dimension, will give you the size of the dimension. Although this theory was founded so long ago it was used for modern implementation and was the beginning of string theory as we know it. The kaluza-klien theory was improved on a third time by Overduin, and Wesson, in 1998 where we still use it now to solve the "Space-Time-Matter Continum"
Referances
1. http://www.gap-system.org/~history/Biographies/Kaluza.html
2. http://www.answers.com/topic/theodor-kaluza
3. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O84-KaluzaTheodorFranzEduard.html
4. http://great-scientists.suite101.com/article.cfm/theory_of_theodor_kaluza_and_oskar_klein
5. http://www.matter-antimatter.com/space-time-matter.htm
6. http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Classical-unified-field-theories
7. http://great-scientists.suite101.com/article.cfm/theory_of_theodor_kaluza_and_oskar_klein
8. http://www.scientificchess.com/articles/Superstrings.htm
9. http://www.tenthdimension.com/medialinks.php
10. http://www.answers.com/topic/theodor-kaluza
11. http://www.sflorg.com/sciencenews/scn012307_02.html